Hillarious

[nero]

Hi guys,
As a bit of background: We trusted our LFS before finding this site. As such, we are now trying to cycle the tank with fish in it. we've lost most of the original ones, but things seem to have settled down now. We have: a cardinal tetra, a zebra danio, and two pygmy corys. To many to be cycling with i know, but its to late now. This is week two, and we havent had any deaths for a week.

BUT the funny bit is: because we're cycling with fish, we am feeding them almost nothing. So whenever we feed them, the CARDINAL chases the zebra to the food! hillarious! Its like a game of chicken between a 4wd and a gokart. They dont hurt each other, but they really go for that food!

And while I'm posting: i KNOW here have been heaps of posts about this, but has anyone sat down and done a battery of tests with ammo lock or amaquel? because we have some A.C.E ammonia locker, and it doesnt seem to effect our ammonia readings at all? After we add it, the reading goes back to zero.

thanks for all your help!

 

[karrihug]

stay away from amquel, i had very high nitrite after an emergency which put 7 fish in a 2.5 gal for about 14 hours changed water and added amquel. my ph dropped from 7 to 5 and my betta was dead in 24 hours. he was the true occupant of that tank. now recycling it with no fish.

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

I wouldn't use Ammolock or any other chemical to remove toxins. All it does is bind ammonia and another chemical together, to make inert particles in the water. But it is still floating around in there, and needs to be removed.
A water change will do you fish more good than ammolock, and if you keep using that, the cycle will take longer. Plus fish Enjoy water changes, and it help reduce stress by adding new water to the system.

 

[finius]

You can buy live bacteria for around 10 bucks. That should stabalize your tank pretty quickly.

 

[pendragon]

because we have some A.C.E ammonia locker, and it doesnt seem to effect our ammonia readings at all? After we add it, the reading goes back to zero.

It is affecting your readings; that's why your test shows zero. "Ammonia locker" doesn't get rid of the ammonia, it just neturalizes its toxicity. The ammonia is still in the tank. If your test kit shows ammonia in the tank, but after you add the ammonia locker it reads zero, then it is incorrect, and thus the ammonia locker is fudging your readings. The ammonia is not gone.

pendragon!

 

[nero]

Well, im not a biochemist, and I dont pretend to know how these things work exactly but the physical evidence I have is:

- My fish were dying due to high ammonia.
- daily small water changes made no difference
- I bought an ammonia test kit... there was 1ppm of ammonia in my TAP water. this was not CHLORAMINE. I treated the tap water with a chlorine/chloramine remover and still got an ammonia reading
- I used ACE and my fish stopped dying and became happy again.
- after using ACE in my tap water the ammonia reading is 0.
- As long as the ammonia is bound and non toxic and not reading in you ammonia tests who cares if it is still there? The test is not "wrong" because I am performing the test to see if there is toxic ammonia in the tank. Thus a reading of 0 toxic ammonia pm is "correct". The water changes will get rid of it eventually.
- If the ammonia level in my tap is so high, i have no choice but to use an ammonia binder. Otherwise water changes are doing more harm than good.
- The tank may take longer to cycle, but i would prefer to save lives than cycle quickly.
- The bacteria in a bottle may or may not work. I have been adding "sera nitrivec", then when that ran out, "cycle". They dont seem to make any difference, but I cant test this without an empty tank, and enought money for all the ammonia test. That said, i love my fish, and Im willing to keep adding it in case it works!

 

[nero]

Sorry, I didnt mean that to sound angry, Im grateful for your help! Its just I have seen so many unfounded claims. Everything I am saying I am trying to base on evidence that I have proven!

 

[finius]

I hope you don't drink your tap water. Maybe you buy a water filter.

 

[rollntider]

Biro spira is the only one that seems to be the ones that work after reading up on it. A coworker recently purcahsed it, in a new tank and stocked it with 5 fish(15 gallon). 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite every day. I am now convinced bio spira is the only one to use. That tank is 3 weeks old and hasnt had an ammo or nitirite reading as of yet.

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

BIO-Spira Seems to have high ratings on a consumer report website I visit (9.38 out of 10) and is readily available everywhere. Although it's expensive, in your case, I think saving your fish's life is more important than the $15 to buy a bottle, and could solve your ammonia problems.

 

[Mesome]

I had so much trouble getting my 10 gallon cycled, I was ready to just give up. I was doing daily water chages, and both amonia and nitrites were through the roof. So then, during one of my water changes I forgot to unplug the pump and burned it up. Best thing that ever happened to that tank. I bought a bio-wheel, and put a bio-sponge on the sucker part of the pump, added some cycle, and never had a problem since. I would try to avoid adding amquel and such, unless you absolutley have to. It is only prolonging the amount of time it will take to properly cycle your tank. Frequent water changes will be more helpful. Also, if you use amquel, be sure that you have good circulation/aeration as it depletes the water of oxygen. You may want to invest in a filter for your tap water....doesn't sound very refreshing for your fish or yourself....
Good luck!

 

[tstenback]

Nero: I used ACE and my fish stopped dying and became happy again.
- after using ACE in my tap water the ammonia reading is 0.

When you used ACE it made the ammonia non toxic like pendragon said but these neutralizing chemicals also screw up your ammonia test which is why your test reads zero. There is still ammonia in the tank but it is not toxic. HTH